


One wedding. No funeral. One unqualified catastrophe.

by digthewriter



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asking For Trouble, Bottom Arthur, Bottom Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Community: reel_merlin, Escort Service, M/M, Movie Remake, Pretend Relationship, The Wedding Date, Top Merlin, forced bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-09-28 12:58:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10101776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Single businessman Arthur Pendragon decides to hire a male escort to pose as his boyfriend at his sister’s wedding. His plan, an attempt to dupe his ex-boyfriend, who broke it off with him a few years prior, proves to be Arthur’s undoing.





	1. You're Invited...

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers/Warnings:** Modern!AU. Sexual Content. Pretend Relationship. Mention of past infidelity (not between Merlin/Arthur)
> 
>  **Author's Notes:** This was originally written for REEL-MERLIN with the movie prompt: _The Wedding Date_ It's divided up in three chapters and will be posted accordingly. 
> 
> All my thanks to [NIA](http://nia-kantorka.livejournal.com/) & [Schweet_Heart](http://schweet-heart.livejournal.com/) for the quick beta.
> 
> * * *
> 
> The summary comes from the actual synopsis for the film. The title comes from the summary of the book _Asking For Trouble_ — which the movie is based on. I watched the movie and read the book in order to prepare this fic. (If only I worked this hard at Uni). 
> 
> Enjoy.

Arthur stared at the invitation in his hand with intense scepticism. He had known this day was coming, yet, he still couldn't believe it was _here_. Morgana was getting married to one of his best mates, and it was a cause for celebration. Of course, it was.

After years of push and pull, Leon had finally admitted his feelings to Morgana and proposed. If she hadn’t accepted, he was going to move on. Emotionally, and physically. His firm had just opened a new office in Brisbane and he planned on shifting there. Arthur knew if Morgana had any idea what was good for her, she'd accept his proposal, and his invitation to shift there with him. He had no idea what it was that had been holding her back, but he'd sighed with relief when he'd received that phone call from Leon, telling him they were _finally_ going to be married.

Naturally, it all sounded good in theory. Unfortunately, an actual wedding needed to take place. And Arthur had to attend it. 

Arthur didn't know what was worse, the fact that his father and Morgana's mother were joining forces for the wedding, or _he_ was going to be there. He, as in Arthur's ex-boyfriend, Cenred. Leon and Arthur might have been best mates from Uni, but it was Cenred who had known him longer. Leon and Cenred grew up a few houses down from each other and while Leon had taken a liking to Morgana, Cenred had caught Arthur's eye.

Arthur sagged on the over-sized sofa chair in his sitting room and was staring at the invitation once again, when his phone chimed. It was Morgana's mother, no doubt, making sure he’d be there for the brunch. He quickly checked the text, and he was right.

 **Vivienne** : Arthur dear, space is quickly filling up for the pre-wedding brunch. Do tell me you're going to be here. Your father won't like it otherwise.

Arthur rolled his eyes. She had never cared for what Uther Pendragon wanted until it was time for Morgana to get married. Since Morgana wanted a proper wedding, being given away by the father of the bride and all, Vivienne needed to make sure everyone was on the same page. As in, portraying a big happy family. As in, a complete and utter lie.

Uther never approved of Arthur's bisexuality, especially since he'd taken a stand on his affinity for men over women, and he'd _hated_ Cenred. He was probably the only person who'd been _most_ glad when Cenred had broken it off with Arthur. Secretly, Arthur was glad for it too. He was living, and breathing, much more easily now he didn't have yet another man's expectations to live up to. To please.

 **Arthur** : Hi V. Yes, I'll be there. I hope to take the train, I'm going to book the seats soon. Is there room for me in the cottage or shall I get a hotel?

 _Please say hotel. Please say hotel._ Arthur chanted the mantra; he did not want to stay with his crazy family in the cottage for two days, then drive up to River City for the wedding and stay there for two more days, as they were all expected to see off the happy couple to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

 **Vivienne** : I've asked Cenred to get a hotel, so we have two rooms available. A single and a double room. If you're bringing a guest, I'll place cousin Iseldir in the spare room. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to share with him.

 _Cousin Iseldir_ was a long lost relative of Morgana's who’d reached out to her when her achievements were published in the papers. As a practitioner of holistic medicine, Morgana had made a name for herself at an early age; now it seemed as though anyone related to them was coming out of the woodwork, seeking her out. If Arthur was honest with himself, it all seemed just a bit too psychotherapeutic for him, and he stayed far, far away from it.

Which really caused a problem now, didn't it? It was one thing to face the family alone, Cenred alone, as someone who was single, but to actually share a room with Iseldir? No, that was not happening.

 **Arthur** : I'll be bringing a guest, so can we get the bigger room?

The words were sent and Arthur hadn't had a complete realisation of what he was doing. He was _lying_ , obviously, and worst of all, he didn't have a date. He didn't even have anyone _close_ to a date. For fuck's sake, he didn't even have any friends there. They were all in Camelot.

 **Vivienne** : Thank heavens! Your sister is going to be so glad. We were all worried...well that's not important now. See you when you get here, dear.

Arthur grimaced at his phone. He pushed further into the sofa-chair annoyed at the interaction he'd just had with Vivienne. Sure, he'd lied about having a date, but now he couldn't even claim at the last minute his date had cancelled. They had been hoping he'd bring someone.

His phone chimed again.

 **Morgana** : Are you really bringing a date? Oh, I can't wait to meet him. It's a him right? Please don't bring "just a friend." Mother's going to be so disappointed.

Great. Now that the cat was out of the bag and he couldn't even go with his backup plan. His _boyfriend_ , the one he didn't have, was going to be stricken with a stomach ulcer at the last minute. Except, now if he showed up without one, they were all going to know he’d been lying.

Worst of all, they were all going to know he was pathetic.

Arthur did the only thing he could do. He messaged Gwaine. Gwaine was going to be at the wedding, and he was always best at coming up with best plans under stress. The man was a solicitor, after all.

 **Gwaine** : Escort service.

 **Arthur** : You can't be serious. It's illegal.

 **Gwaine** : It's illegal to pay for sex.

 **Arthur** : You're unbelievable.

 **Gwaine** : Whatever. It's your funeral.

Arthur shut off his phone and threw it on the table. He was absolutely and utterly screwed, and the wedding was less than a week away.

As the days passed by, the idea of an escort service sounded better and better. Finally, Arthur caved and checked the local newspaper to see what they had to offer.

-=-=-

Lucas, Arthur's _date_ , was due to arrive in a few moments. He finished off his last minute packing, totally freaking out about how he might have forgotten something, and the doorbell rang.

Instead of the person he'd been expecting, a tall man with light green eyes, and dirty blond hair--it was a short woman in a bright red suit, with equally vibrant ginger hair. Her freckles were subtle, and her smile reached her eyes. She gave Arthur a once-over and nodded. It was as if she were assessing Arthur for her company.

"Mr Pendragon, I presume?" she asked, and Arthur nodded. "It's good to meet you. My name is Joanna Carter, and I'm with Quaint Acquaintances. We're sorry to inform you the person you originally selected to accompany you for your trip has been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer." At least, she had the decency to look remorseful.

"What? Are you bloody serious?" Arthur snapped; he couldn't believe his luck. It was the _exact_ reason he'd thought for to why his date would have to miss the wedding, and now that supposed excuse was a reality. "What am I going to do now?"

"We have a replacement for you. Everything you asked for: well-spoken, handsome, dresses well, the works! He's waiting for you in the car."

"The car?"

"Yes. We will take you to the train station in our company limo, give you two a bit of time to chat and get to know each other, and then you'll be on your way."

Arthur had no other choice. He'd spoken to Lucas on the phone: he was sweet, charming, and really seemed like a catch. Now, Arthur had no clue who this new bloke was going to be. He'd been pretty set on Lucas. Change made him nervous.

Knowing that there really wasn't anything he could do about it at the moment, Arthur grabbed his bags and closed the door behind him. He followed the woman out to the front of his building, where a man wearing dark grey jeans, a crisp white shirt, and a black leather jacket was waiting for them. His eyes were blue like the ocean, bluer than Arthur's even, and his black hair swept across his forehead. He smiled at Arthur and reached out to grab his bags.

 _Wait, is this the driver_?

"Arthur Pendragon, meet Merlin Emrys. Merlin, this is Arthur."

"Hello," Merlin said, placing the bags in the trunk of the car before reaching once again, this time to shake Arthur's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Arthur."

Arthur's eyes widened slightly; okay, so the hair colour, the eye-colour, and the height were all wrong, but somehow it also seemed to connect. _Merlin_ , if that was his real name, wasn't like anyone Arthur had dated in the past. He was a bit lanky, but seemed to be filled out in all the right places, and as far as Arthur could see had a decent sense of fashion. Besides, it was only for five days, and the company had guaranteed his satisfaction. There was no way things were going to get screwed up.

Were they?

"So, where did we meet?" Merlin asked Arthur, as the limo began to drive towards the train station.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Where did we meet? I'm not sure if you told all of these details to Lucas, but since he's in hospital—"

"Of course, that's a good question," Arthur said, looking out the window as he tugged on his collar.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'm sure we can figure things out one at a time. So why don't we start with a few basic questions." Merlin waited for Arthur's response, and that was when Arthur noticed how Merlin had placed his hand on Arthur's knee. Arthur nodded hesitantly.

"Just talk to me," Merlin said calmly. "Where do you think we met? What do you do for work? What do I do for work? How long we've been dating? Things like that."

"Okay..." Arthur sat up awkwardly, and Merlin removed his hand from his knee. Clearly, he was reading Arthur just right. "I'll just talk a bit about me then?" he asked, and Merlin nodded.

"Well, I'm Arthur, as you already know." Merlin smiled at him with his head tilted slightly and Arthur thought he looked absolutely adorable. "I'm twenty-seven. I work for a publishing company in London—"

"Oh, which one?" Merlin said excitedly, and then quickly placed a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine," Arthur said, slightly weirded out. "I work for Wonder Wanderer." When Merlin's eyes brightened, he look pleased with himself. But Arthur could see it wasn't a surprise though. Had they met before? "You know it?"

Merlin smiled at him, and Arthur noticed how every time Merlin gave him a smile, his heart fluttered; like he was some stupid school girl. Merlin was either genuinely happy, or just really good at this. "Of course. Mostly travel books, adventure travels to be exact, but also a huge line of fiction books focusing on travel: romance, adventure, science fiction. It's a huge name. How long have you been with them?"

"Wonder Wanderer is a subsidiary of Pendragon Publishing..." Arthur said softly, if Merlin was aware of Wonder then he had to know about Pendragon Publishing.

"No way!" Merlin said excitedly and slapped Arthur's shoulder, then he quickly sobered up. "Sorry, that was me acting like a fool. That won't happen again. That's really cool. Excellent, now I'm certain I'll have items to discuss with your family and friends."

"Brilliant. But just wanted to let you know, my plan is after this weekend, we'll have some sort of a break-up so don't charm them too much," Arthur said, attempting a joke, and feeling as though he'd failed miserably.

"As you wish," Merlin said with a nod, looking disappointed. "Can I make a suggestion now, since I know a little bit about you?"

"Of course."

"About where we met: To make it sound realistic, you can perhaps say the mixer Wonder Wanderer had with Dragonworks Publishing last April is where we bumped into each other."

"I was actually there," Arthur said, a bit surprised Merlin knew about the mixer since it was an invite-only event. "I didn't know people were actually there with an escort..." He immediately stopped himself from saying anything else. He didn't want to offend Merlin.

"You'd be surprised at the various occasions to which one is required to bring a date," Merlin said with a smile, as he placed his hand on Arthur's knee again.

Arthur hated how he jumped every time Merlin touched him. He needed to stop doing that. If Merlin were his _proper_ boyfriend, then he would be used to Merlin's touch and not surprised by it all the time. He reached down and placed his hand on top of Merlin's and squeezed it. There was just something about Merlin, he couldn't figure out. But, they had just met so Arthur knew he needed to relax and let things flow a bit. 

If he overreacted to everything, it'd be his undoing. 

"Very good," Merlin said softly. He turned away from Arthur to look out of the window on his side of the car, and rested his shoulder against Arthur's. "You need to get used to my body being around yours."

Yeah, Arthur wasn't sure he'd get used to that.

=-=-=

The train ride up to Camelot wasn't all that bad. Even though Arthur had thought he and Merlin were going to discuss more details of their relationship, they didn't. Merlin only asked him three questions: 1. What was his favourite drink? Gin and Tonic. 2. If he was allergic to anything? No, but Arthur _hated_ olives. 3. How did he feel about public displays of affection? Arthur didn't mind a bit of hand-holding but mostly, he liked to keep his body to himself.

Arthur thought about asking Merlin those questions, but he didn't get the chance as Merlin had closed his eyes and fallen asleep. It didn't take long for Arthur to do the same. When he woke up, Merlin's head was resting against Arthur's shoulder, and his hand was dangling in-between Arthur's legs. He was slightly embarrassed by the fact but thankfully, no one was around to see them. He took in a deep breath, taking in Merlin's scent, a mixture of bourbon, vanilla, and cedar. He wondered what sort of shampoo or aftershave Merlin used.

Arthur didn't wake Merlin up for a long time. It'd been some time since he'd felt the presence of another body next to his. His work kept him busy most days, and his dating life was shot to shit. He'd tried dating online, even hook-up apps, but nothing was really worth it. Gwaine had tried to tell him he was still insecure after his and Cenred's breakup, but Arthur knew it wasn't that. Maybe he was just waiting. Maybe he was just afraid dating someone new was asking for trouble.

When the train stopped at their station, the last stop, Merlin woke up of his own accord.

"Oh, sorry," he said, looking at Arthur and removing the hand resting against Arthur's thigh. Arthur pretended he hadn’t even noticed it, because if he had, what would he have said?

They got off the train quickly, grabbing their bags, and hailing a taxi. They didn't talk much on the ride to the cottage, either. Arthur had no idea what he was so nervous about. Every time he'd look at Merlin, Merlin would only give him a reassuring smile. 

Why didn't the man talk? 

Why didn't Arthur? 

The Pendragon cottage was almost exactly the way he remembered. It was by the river, and Arthur reminisced about the way he'd often sat by the calm waters and pondered over his life, thinking about what was going to happen to him if he didn’t join his father's publishing company. Then all his dreams had been put into a box and thrown at the bottom of the river.

It wasn't all bad, though. He liked working at Wonder Wanderers; even if it was associated with his father, the business decisions he made for the WW were his own.

When the taxi pulled away from them, and Arthur and Merlin stood by the gates to the property, Arthur almost wanted to run away. What was he doing there? What was he doing there with _Merlin_?

The self doubt was creeping in and it was so unlike him to be this nervous. He wished he could simply treat it like a business venture--then it would all be all right. 

"Come on. We don't want you to change your mind, do we?" Merlin said, grabbing his and Arthur's bags.

"I can carry my own luggage, thank you," Arthur snapped. He knew it wasn't Merlin's fault but everything about this was just so wrong. Merlin wasn't the bloke he'd asked for, and now he was being so nice, Arthur was just getting frustrated with it.

"Fine," Merlin said, dropping Arthur's suitcases on his foot. "Best start acting like a real couple, I reckon." He waited for Arthur to pick up his luggage and followed him through the gates and into the cottage.

"You call this a cottage?" Merlin asked, and Arthur knew what he meant. It was the smallest house they owned, and hence, they'd named it _the cottage_ but it wasn't all that small. 

"It's a bloody palace."

"You should see the real house," Arthur said.

"If you're family's so fucking loaded, then why do you live in that tiny flat in London?" Merlin asked, and Arthur turned to look at him, glowering, most likely.

"It's my bloody home. I pay for the rent with my own earnings and if you—"

"There you are!" Vivienne's voice reached them and Arthur schooled his expression. Merlin, who had been frowning at him, also started to smile.

"Hi, Viv," Arthur said, nodding. "Don't you look lovely today?" Vivienne wore a blue dress with bright yellow flowers and matching yellow heels. She was always matching her shoes to the print of whatever outfit she had on. Morgana, of course, was nothing like her mother in that regard. Most of the time, she wore all black with dark eye-shadow, going for the gothic chic look that was so 90s; Arthur knew she dressed like that only to get on Viv and Uther's nerves.

"And who is this?" Vivienne asked, giving Merlin a once over. "Gosh, Arthur, you never told me your new man was so hot!" She fanned herself and Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes, even if he was actually very glad Merlin had already charmed Viv.

"I'm Merlin," he said, offering his hand and Vivienne grabbed onto it with no intention of letting go. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs—"

"Mrs!" She nearly shrieked. "Dear heavens, boy. I never married."

Merlin looked slightly embarrassed and nodded quickly.

"This is Morgana's mum, Ms Fey," Arthur said.

They walked behind Vivienne and Arthur slowed his pace, Merlin doing the same. In a hushed tone, Arthur tried to explain things to Merlin. As best he could in thirty seconds or less. "Morgana is my sister; we have the same father, but different mothers. My father had an affair, and it didn't last so my father and mother tried to work it out. Then I was born. And then, well, my mother died. Vivienne is nice, and she looked after me here and there, but my father and her don't get along. We're all getting together for the first time in years because of the wedding!" Vivienne was a nice woman, but she wasn't Arthur's mother, and she'd never acted as if she had wanted to be.

"Come along then." Vivienne's voice echoed through the hallway and Arthur didn't wait for Merlin's reaction. He rushed after her.

As they walked through the house, Arthur dreaded introducing Merlin to the rest of the family.

"Arthur!" Morgana came out of her room with Leon right behind her. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe you're here already. We're all about set up for the brunch— Hello!" She changed her focus from Arthur to Merlin and then pulled Merlin in for a hug. "I'm Morgana. The bride-to-be. And this is Leon."

Leon shook Merlin's hand after Morgana let go of him, and then he clapped Arthur on the shoulder. He never did speak much.

"So let me show you to your room," Vivienne said.

Arthur was looking forward to relaxing in the guest room — especially the fact that there would be two beds. After everything, he didn't have to share a bed with Merlin.

Or so he thought.

They stopped a few feet short of the main guest room and Vivienne opened the door to the smaller room. "Here we are."

"Why aren't we going to—" Arthur indicated towards the big guest room where he'd thought he and Merlin were going to stay.

"Well, Iseldir doesn't want to be alone, so he's going to share with Orwin, Leon's cousin. It was all so last minute! So I'm afraid you two are in the small room with—"

"But that room only has one bed," Arthur said, realising how stupid he sounded. Of course he would share a bed with his boyfriend. "Father has the rule about couples sharing a bed—"

Vivienne rolled her eyes. "Please, Arthur. Even if you were in the room with two beds, we all know you boys would be sleeping in the same one. Besides, that room has two singles, and _this_ room has a queen-sized mattress. Don't make that face..."

Arthur's scowl grew deeper; thankfully, Merlin took over. "Wait, is there a balcony in the room? And a private bath?" He sounded far too excited, and Arthur realised he should have told him to keep it more casual. Vivienne was going to eat him right up.

"See, your man knows how to appreciate the little things. Something the Pendragon men never learned," Vivienne said, dismissing Arthur and walking into the room after Merlin.

Arthur took a deep sigh. God, this was going to be a very long five days. He dropped his bags by the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up while Vivienne and Merlin chatted along on the balcony. The cottage belonged to his father, but Uther never really came here. It was mostly used by Arthur and Morgana, who stayed there in the summer with Vivienne looking after them.

When Arthur returned to the bedroom, Vivienne almost shrieked. "Look at the time!" she said, running towards the door. "Guests are going to be here in ten minutes! You boys need to get ready fast, okay? No funny business. I don't want to have the guests waiting for you two." 

"It's Morgana's wedding weekend; shouldn't you be saying all of this to her?"

Vivienne frowned at him and left the room. Arthur turned to look at Merlin who was simply smiling.

"Should I change or is this okay?" he asked, gesturing towards his clothes. "I brought a few suits as well, I'll just have to hang them or—"

"I think it's all right, but since Vivienne and Morgana have already seen you wearing that, they might frown upon the fact you didn't change."

"Ah! Got ya." Merlin grabbed his bag and went to the bathroom. He ran the shower and started to undress. Arthur watched him in surprise before turning around. He hadn’t closed the door. Arthur couldn't believe they'd have to keep up the facade of being boyfriends even when they were alone.

He tried not to think about the small glimpse of Merlin's arse he'd had before he turned away. He brought out a new pair of trousers and a black long sleeved button down and began changing himself.

=-=-=

They were only five minutes late. By the time Arthur and Merlin made it downstairs, the room was full. The brunch was more like a party. Guests were gathered in all corners of the room, enjoying hors d'oeuvres and mimosas while one of Morgana's friends was on the piano.

Arthur made introductions as he and Merlin breezed through the room. Finally, when they came face-to-face with Gwaine, Arthur relaxed.

"Gwaine, this is Merlin. Merlin this is my _friend_ Gwaine."

"Why do you say it like that?" Merlin asked, looking slightly intrigued. "Is there a history— should I be jealous?"

"You don't have to act in front of Gwaine. It was his idea..." Arthur said leaning close and whispering in Merlin's ear. Then when he pulled back, Merlin's face looked flushed. "I...can I get you a drink?"

"Merlin, huh?" Gwaine said in a curious tone, and Arthur was _now_ nervous.

"Don't..." he warned.

"Have we met before?" Gwaine asked.

"Why would we have met?" Merlin asked innocently. "I'll have a gi—mimosa, thanks." He leaned in and kissed Arthur's cheek, and it was all so dismissive, as if he were trying to tell Arthur he could handle the situation on his own. Handle Gwaine. Maybe the flush he'd seen creep up on Merlin's cheeks was simply Arthur's imagination, because obviously Merlin was a professional. He was probably used to being in situations where he'd have to think on his feet. He probably didn't know what he was getting himself into with Gwaine.

As soon as Arthur stepped away from Gwaine and Merlin, he headed to the bar, and was bombarded by family members and friends asking him a million questions about Merlin. Evidently, Vivienne hadn't stopped raving about how wonderful he was and now everyone in the room knew all about him. Or, at least, as much as they could know about someone that'd literally just walked into the home.

It only got worse when Arthur reached the bar and found his father waiting there for him. "So, who is that then?" he asked, slowly taking a sip of his drink and not making eye contact with Arthur. Arthur followed his father's gaze and saw Uther had a clear line of sight on Merlin.

"Boyfriend, you know." Arthur tried to play it off and ordered the drinks from the bartender.

"Bit early don't you think?" Uther said.

"For what? A drink?" Arthur scoffed. Everyone was well on their way to getting drunk already.

"For you to be evading my questions," replied Uther. "I haven’t heard anything about him and all of a sudden, you're in love, and he is the most wonderful man Viv's ever met."

"Well, Viv has her moments," Arthur said and Uther finally turned and looked at him. _Very well,_ he thought, might as well get it over with. "His name's Merlin Emrys. I met him back in April at the mixer with Wonder and Dragonworks. He was there with a friend and we—talked."

"Is it serious?"

Arthur shrugged. "Why do you care?"

Uther raised an eyebrow and Arthur almost regretted challenging his father. This wasn't the time or place to start an argument. He should have just said it was good for the time being and moved on. "It's your sister's wedding—"

"And we need to be focusing on her, thank you." Vivienne seemed to have come out of nowhere and interrupted their argument. Arthur would always be thankful for her timing.

Uther turned his attention to Vivienne, so Arthur took the opportunity to slip away and went searching for Merlin. He wasn't with Gwaine anymore, but Arthur spotted him outside in the balcony with some other people. As he got closer, he noticed Merlin was talking to someone in the corner Arthur couldn’t see. It wasn’t until he was much closer, Arthur realised it was Cenred.

Merlin, Arthur's supposed boyfriend, was talking to Arthur's ex-boyfriend. Brilliant. They'd not been introduced to each other and Arthur panicked. He didn't want to seem flustered to Cenred there, and how would he even introduce Merlin to him without making it look like he was trying too hard? As he walked up to Merlin, Arthur handed him his drink, and pulled him in for a kiss. When he pulled back, Merlin seemed slightly unsettled. Arthur smiled at him and then he looked at Cenred.

"Oh, Cenred!" Arthur said, pretending as if he'd been completely surprised by the fact that the man was standing there. "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn't realise—shit—how are you?"

"Hello, Arthur," Cenred said, nodding. "I didn't realise you'd already arrived, and..."

"Oh, right. This is Merlin. My boyfriend. Boyfriend Merlin, meet Cenred. He's uhm—Leon's friend. They grew up together."

"Oh," Merlin said, sounding somewhat uninterested. "We'd not got around to exchanging names just yet." He turned to give his undivided attention to Arthur, "Sorry, I'd just gone looking for you and got spun around in the room and ended up here..." Merlin raked his fingers through Arthur's hair and when Arthur looked at him, Merlin was looking back fondly.

"It's okay..." Arthur said, unsure, but kept smiling.

Merlin was very good at this, Arthur thought. He'd completely dismissed Cenred the moment Arthur arrived, or the moment he realised he'd been talking to the one man Arthur wanted to avoid all through the wedding.

"So I have to do a really awkward thing, and I apologise in advance for this," Arthur said.

"What is it?" Merlin asked, looking concerned.

"Introduce you to my father," replied Arthur.

Merlin smiled, threading his fingers through Arthur's and letting himself be guided away from the balcony. They barely said goodbye to Cenred.

-=-=-

Uther was in the middle of a speech when they re-entered the main room where most of the guests were gathered. Gwaine watched as Arthur walked in with Merlin, hand in hand. Arthur shrugged in return, and they continued walking.

"So what should I tell him you do for a living?" Arthur asked quietly, his mouth close to Merlin's ear.

"I'm a screenplay writer," Merlin said.

"What?" Arthur said, rather a bit loudly and all the people around him turned to look at them. He made an awkward face and mouthed the words _Sorry_ and returned his attention to Merlin. "Are you serious?"

"Well...yeah. Explains why I was at the writers' mixer, doesn't it?"

"My father's going to eat you alive," Arthur said.

"Does it matter?" Merlin asked. "You planned on breaking it off after the wedding, right? I mean—"

"Of course, you're right," Arthur replied.

He straightened up after his father had finished his speech and marched directly towards them. Arthur cleared his throat, and tried to stand tall.

"Father. This is Merlin. Merlin, this is my father, Uther Pendragon."

"Pleasure to meet you sir," Merlin said with a smile and offered his hand to shake but Uther didn't take it.

Arthur felt bad for Merlin. The man had been so good with Arthur just moments ago with Cenred, and now Arthur's father was being such a difficult arse about it.

"What makes you think you're good enough for my son?" Uther asked, and Arthur's brows furrowed.

"What?" Arthur said, almost snapping. What brought this on?

"Ex—excuse me?" Merlin baffled and Arthur wasn't sure but he thought Merlin leaned into him slightly, as if he were asking for support. "I...I don't know sir, but..."

"You don't know?" Uther said, sounding disappointed. When it wasn't happening to him, Arthur thought Uther's disappointed tone was rather amusing. He was curious to see how Merlin was going to get out of this. "He's already had his heartbroken by a no-good-arse—"

"Father!" Arthur said, surprised. What in the world?

Uther scrutinised him with a look and Arthur immediately shut up.

"Well, sir," Merlin said, straightening up a bit. "I can only _hope_ I'm good enough for your son. I've always been honest, up front, and worked hard to get where I want to be. I don't lie, or cheat, and I don't play games. When I first set my eyes on Arthur, I had no idea who he was, that he came from all this..." Merlin gestured around the room, "but I knew he was a good man. An honest man who wants to make something of himself. He is brilliant, funny, and charming when he's not trying to be. I watched him work the room at the Dragonworks Publishing's event, I could see how _open_ he was with everyone. He has an air about him, and when I'd seen him, I had thought to myself, _now that's the man I want in my life_. I had no clue he was this famous, rich, _brat_. But he seems to be okay with me, so I must be doing something right."

Arthur's eyes widened and he knew he was gaping at Merlin, but couldn't help himself. Everyone around him was silent. They were all staring; either at Merlin or at Uther, waiting for his reaction.

A small twitch on Uther's lips, and Arthur could tell how hard he was working to not smile. He gave Merlin a nod, and added, "We'll see," and walked away. 

Arthur felt everything inside him burning. He had been so on edge about coming here but so far Merlin had proven to be remarkably useful. He'd been nothing but the perfect boyfriend, acting like it, and now definitely talking like it, and he was so convincing, Arthur had to remind himself at they hadn't met at the mixer as they're telling everyone they had.

"That was bloody brilliant," Arthur said to Merlin when everyone around him and started to walk away. "You almost had me convinced. You must be a writer after all."

"What do you mean?"

"That speech, the big spiel about seeing me at the event, it was so persuasive—"

"Right," Merlin said, looking disconcerted for a second; a moment later, he was cool and collected again. "Of course. Brilliant."

The rest of the day seemed to go by in a blur. After the pre-wedding brunch, there were more speeches about how everyone was so happy for Morgana and Leon, and every time Arthur looked over at Cenred, he seemed pained.

Arthur had no idea what Cenred's problem was. He'd caught Arthur's eye, smiled awkwardly, and then left the room. Then when Arthur looked at Merlin next, Merlin had a confused look on his face. Arthur didn't know if Merlin was confused about how Cenred was acting, or if it was all just getting to be too much for him.

Arthur had a pretty big family, and since most of Vivienne's family was there too, it really was at over-capacity.

When the guests were finally starting to leave, making plans to return for dinner, Arthur was relieved. All he wanted to do was go up to the guestroom, take a long, hot shower, and then crash on the bed for a few hours. He hoped Vivienne didn't have any plans for him with Morgana or Leon's friends. She seemed to have every second planned for the next few days.

"Your sister just asked me if I'd go shopping with her and her friends," Merlin said to Arthur as he returned from the bar with two more drinks and sat down next to him.

"Did you tell her you're not actually a girl?" Arthur asked.

"She said something about how her friend Gwen was working at the mall, and couldn't get the time off to come to brunch, but she thinks I should really meet her."

"Oh, please..." Arthur covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. "I can't believe it."

"What is it?" Merlin asked, placing a hand on Arthur's knee, and Arthur could feel the heat between them.

"Gwen's my ex-girlfriend. She and Morgana got close after we broke up. She wants you to go there so she can start some drama, I suppose. Morgana is always looking for entertainment that's caused by other people's conflicts."

"She sounds lovely," Merlin said. "So should I say no?"

"You actually want to go shopping with Morgana and all her friends?"

Merlin shrugged. He leaned in closer to Arthur and spoke, "I figured you wanted to be alone for a few hours. You look exhausted, and no matter what everyone thinks, we're not actually attached at the hip."

How did Merlin read Arthur so well? Maybe it came with the job.

"I'd appreciate that, thank you," Arthur said.

Then Merlin grinned at him and stood up, offering his hand to Arthur. "Okay, let's go back to the room then. You can get your shower in, and I'll change into something more casual."

Arthur took his hand and stood up as well. They kept holding hands as they smiled to each other. It was all starting to feel so strange, so real. Arthur felt like he'd travelled to a parallel universe where he had a great boyfriend, friends and family all around him, and everything was perfect. Or well, close to perfect. Given Cenred was still in the same room as him.

-=-=-

When Merlin returned from the shopping trip, Arthur had just woken up. He sat up on the bed and found that, much to his surprise, Merlin had brought him a cup of coffee.

"Another evening of drinking, I suppose," Merlin said, sitting on the bed next to Arthur, "and I hear there's going to be dancing."

Arthur groaned and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. "Thanks for the coffee. How did you know—?"

"Morgana suggested it. She said I should bring you one since I must know how you're always so grumpy right after you wake up."

"I am not grumpy," Arthur mumbled.

Merlin smiled fondly at him again, the way he had earlier when Cenred was looking at them, but this time, there was no one to put on the show for. When Arthur looked at him, slightly confused, he schooled his expression. Arthur caught himself wishing he hadn’t; he sort of liked the way Merlin looked at him.

"So where are we going for dinner, anyway?" Merlin asked. "God, all this food and drink, I'm going to put on so much weight." He took off his shirt and threw it on top of his bag, then opened the cupboard to find a different one. Arthur hadn't even known when Merlin had the time to unpack.

"You could use a bit of filling out in some parts," Arthur said, raking his eyes over Merlin's back.

"Aw, you say the nicest things. Of course, you think it's so easy when you look like _that_?"

"Like what?" Arthur asked, standing up. He was shirtless himself as he'd been sleeping, but he came around the bed and stood next to Merlin.

Merlin turned him around and made him look in the mirror. "Have you _seen_ yourself?"

Arthur scowled and gave Merlin a once-over. "Are we really comparing bodies? Because I'm not my type. I don't—"

"Cenred is as tall as you are, and also filled out in places, and you just said—"

"All I was saying is you look great. If you don't happen to work out for the four to five days we're here, it won't be a big deal. You look good."

Arthur didn't know when they had diminished the distance between them, but they were now standing chest to chest. Almost at the same height, Arthur's face was so close to Merlin's he could feel Merlin's warm breath on him. As if of their own accord, Arthur's eyes glanced down at Merlin's lips for a second when Merlin almost immediately licked them.

He had half made up his mind to lean down and kiss Merlin, when someone opened the door to their room and barged in.

"Arthur, when do you have—?"

"Morgana! Don't you ever _knock_?" Arthur snapped as he tore himself away from Merlin and went to grab a shirt.

" _Sorry_!" Morgana said with irritation. "Didn't realise you were going to get busy with thirty people waiting downstairs."

"Morgana, you need to stop barging in my room!" He had no idea why he was getting so worked up. It wasn’t like he and Merlin were doing anything, or going to do anything; they weren't real boyfriends.

"It's okay," Merlin said, coming to Arthur's side and placing a hand on the small of his back. "Morgana, what can we help you with?"

"It's okay. I'll just ask Mum," she said, scowling, and as she left the room, she banged the door closed.

"It's just wedding jitters," Merlin said to Arthur, now rubbing his hand in circles on Arthur's back.

"It's nice you think so, but she's always been this entitled. It's not just the wedding, trust me."

"Maybe," Merlin said thoughtfully, and Arthur wondered if he knew something Arthur didn't.

They dressed in silence and went downstairs to meet the rest of the family, who were all piling into various cars to head over to the restaurant. Vivienne had booked out the entire place for the family. Merlin stayed next to Arthur the whole time, but he did notice that Merlin's gaze was always in the crowd, as if he were searching for someone.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Leon and Cenred were waiting for them. Cenred immediately looked uncomfortable at seeing Merlin, and Merlin’s smile faltered at seeing him.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, but Merlin didn't get a chance to answer. Everyone around them was lively and energetic, and Arthur didn't want to dampen the mood by asking what was bothering Merlin. Maybe he'd ask him about it later.

As the dessert was served, and the music had started, Leon led Morgana to the dancefloor. Morgana's smile seemed to light up the entire room and all eyes were on her. Gwen and her new boyfriend, Lance, were next to join the couple.

"Merlin, would you like to dance?" Vivienne came around the table and offered her hand to him.

"Oh," Merlin said with a surprise. "All right. Of course." He got up off his chair, offered a smile to Arthur and followed Vivienne.

Vivienne wrapped her arms around Merlin's shoulders and pulled him close. His eyes widened slightly but he seemed to relax when Vivienne threw her head back and started laughing. Arthur turned away to take a sip of his drink. His eyes found Cenred, who was sitting at the next table, his eyes fixed on the dancefloor.

Arthur wasn't sure if he was mistaken, but Cenred looked _pained_. He had to wonder why. Why was he looking at—wait, was he looking at Merlin? Was he looking sad because Merlin was here and he didn't like it? Or was it for some other reason? If Cenred really wanted Arthur back, wouldn't he be trying to speak to Arthur? Or staring at Arthur instead of Merlin?

Realising he was reading too much into this, and Cenred was probably just sad because he was alone, Arthur got up and made his way to the gardens behind the restaurant. They had a small gazebo where you could still hear the music, and Arthur went there and sat down. He wished he could smoke but he'd given it up years ago, and wasn't about to start.

"Hey, Arthur."

Arthur looked up from his bench to find Cenred looking down at him.

"How are you?"

"Cenred, I'm well. How are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Oh, you know," Cenred said, shrugging. "Weddings aren't really my—"

" _Arthur_?" Merlin's voice came from a distance and Arthur thought he heard Cenred mumble a _bloody hell_. When Merlin came close to him, he wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist. "Hey, missed you." He gave Arthur a quick peck on the cheek then regarded Cenred. "Hello again." 

Cenred nodded, and without a word, walked away.

"What was that about?" Arthur asked.

"What was what about?" Merlin said. "Vivienne was wondering where you were and then she saw you out here with Cenred and started to get all these ideas, and in order to keep her from having a panic attack, I felt like I needed to do something—"

"Cenred and I are not getting back together or anything," Arthur said, slightly annoyed.

"I know that. I mean, I wasn't _jealous_ if that's what you're implying."

"That's not what I'm implying."

"Then why are you so cross?" Merlin asked. "I just figured you could use someone rescuing you from your ex-boyfriend you don't even like."

"Who told you that?"

"Morgana mentioned something like that."

"Why were you talking to Morgana about me?" Why was Arthur getting so upset?

"Well, she is your sister, and I am your supposed boyfriend. If she wants to talk about you, I can't very well just say, _sorry, not interested_."

"Whatever," Arthur said, and walked away from Merlin and the gazebo. Of course, he should have known Merlin was right next to him with every step.

When they returned to the room where everyone was gathered, Arthur realised he'd calmed down a bit. He didn't even know why he was so upset in the first place. It was as if he could feel there was something there, hanging in the air, that he had no idea about. He looked at Merlin, who grinned at him, and Arthur couldn't help himself. There was just something about Merlin. He grinned back, his anger really leaving him completely.

"Let's dance," Merlin offered, taking Arthur's hand and leading him to the dancefloor. "You lead," he said.

So they danced. They drank champagne, Merlin laughed at Arthur's jokes, Vivienne's jokes, and even got Uther to smile at him, and they danced. It was a nice night.

Of course, Arthur had forgotten all about the one bed in their room until they'd returned.

"It's just sleeping. I mean, I don't have to sleep naked or anything—"

"You sleep naked?" Arthur asked.

"In my own bed, sure, but not here. That's what I'm saying. We can have separate blankets and everything."

"Fine," Arthur grumbled while walking to the bathroom to clean up. When he returned, Merlin was already in bed with his blankets pulled up all the way to his neck. Arthur figured he was trying to make a point but he ignored it. He got in on this side and turned off the light.

The mattress dipped as Arthur felt Merlin turn.

"I could hold you," Merlin said.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"You seemed really tense all day. I could help you with that."

"We're not having—"

"I didn't say sex. I just talked about holding you. It'll help."

"I'm not paying extra for some sort of touch therapy," Arthur said, although, the idea of having Merlin's arms around him sounded quite good.

"I won't charge extra," Merlin said as his fingers started to thread through Arthur's hair. Arthur involuntarily leaned into the touch; then, Merlin pulled him close. He wrapped his arm around Arthur's waist and settled behind him. He wasn't all curving into Arthur's body, because he didn't feel Merlin's cock brush up against him or anything, but otherwise, his chest was pressed against Arthur's back, and Arthur relaxed.

"There you go..." Merlin whispered, nuzzling into the back of Arthur's hair. "Just let go."

Arthur wanted to argue back, but he had to admit it felt good. And before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep.


	2. Worth Every Penny...

The next day, things seemed a little bit more settled. At least, in the morning. Everyone's day was planned out to the second, and Arthur knew that he didn't have time to freak out or divert from any plans. He filled Merlin in on what they were supposed to be doing. 

Even though Merlin had offered to, and done quite a decent job in holding Arthur, and his touch had relaxed him, Arthur hadn't slept all that well. Seeing Cenred again had really messed with him. There was just something about him being there that didn't settle well with him — and it wasn't just he was there for Leon, there was something else, he knew it. 

"Arthur, you okay?" Merlin asked, bring Arthur back to the conversation they had been having. 

"Yeah. Fine." 

"Are you sure? Do you want me to come to—" 

"No, _Mer_ lin. It's fine." 

This was a family task. Arthur was supposed to go to the family lawyer with Uther, Morgana, and Vivienne so they could discuss their assets, make sure everything was in order with the paperwork prior to Morgana marrying Leon. Even though Morgana hadn't wanted a prenup, Uther had insisted on it, and Leon was okay with it. 

After the formalities of the estate, they were all going out to go to lunch as a family, then they would return to the cottage and join in with the festivities. Merlin was supposed to stay behind and hang out with Leon and the group. The group that included Cenred. 

Merlin walked out of the cottage with Arthur, holding his hand. They were going to make a big show of saying goodbye as Arthur left in the limo with his family, and Merlin was going to get in the car with Leon. They were all set to go out for brunch. 

"So, you'll be okay?" Arthur asked, hating how nervous he sounded. 

"You're worried about me and him spending time together," Merlin observed. 

Their respective cars waited a few feet away when Merlin made a show of taking Arthur's hand and pulling him around. Arthur knew there were people there, not sure if they were watching them, when Merlin pushed Arthur against a car and all but _settled_ himself in-between Arthur's legs. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Showing you how you're the man for me." Merlin smiled and brought himself closer. 

Arthur leaned back, his head slightly tilting sideways. Merlin pressed himself against Arthur's groin and his face was close to Arthur's ear—his breath coaxed his skin and Arthur found it hard to breathe. " _Mer_..."

"I'm not going to kiss you. You can relax. You're safe."

Merlin took Arthur's head in his hands and moved his lips across the contours of his face. Arthur felt himself thinking how incredible intimate it was. Merlin's mouth hovered over his and their lips didn't touch. Arthur found himself breathing Merlin in. 

"I'm not going to kiss you. Trust me. All you have to do is listen to my voice." 

Arthur's body started to relax, even though he wished Merlin would kiss him. Slowly he slumped back against the car. 

"He's going to be so sorry he let you go," Merlin said, his lips moving across Arthur's face. "He stares at me because you look so sexy, and I'm your perfect date, but it doesn't matter. This isn't about him. This isn't about me. It's about you. You're here, supporting your sister at her wedding, and you're perfect." 

Merlin talked slowly, his lips moved across Arthur's forehead, then his cheek, and then they hovered over Arthur's lips again, but they didn't kiss.

"I'm your date. I need you to trust me. I want you to let go of the hurt, the insecurities, the past. When you do, he'll see you the way I see you, and in that moment, he'll finally understand what he's lost."

Merlin tipped Arthur's chin towards him, and he finally opened his eyes. Suddenly, Merlin looked serious. "But by then, the amazing thing is you won't care. You've moved on." 

Merlin took a step back so Arthur could fully stand up. Arthur pressed the palm of his hand against his throbbing cock and tried to settle it. When he looked at Merlin, he'd expected Merlin to look amused, but Merlin was just watching him. 

"You're worth every penny," Arthur whispered, and Merlin gave him a half smile. 

And with the confidence Arthur didn't know he possessed, he pulled Merlin in for a long, deep kiss. By the time they let go, everyone around them was cheering. When Arthur looked around in Leon's and Cenred's direction, Leon was giving him a thumb's up and Cenred looked pained. 

"I'll see you later, then," Arthur said. 

"I can't wait," replied Merlin.

-=-=-

The next day, they were all going to drive down to River City for the wedding, so Arthur was happy to simply relax tonight and go to the dance club with Morgana, Leon, and whoever else that wanted to tag along.

After the little encounter he'd had with Merlin, despite knowing fully well that Merlin was only doing his job, Arthur couldn't stop thinking about it. If they were doing this—if Arthur was paying him—then it would be okay if Arthur wanted to take it to the next level. It'd been ages, after all, and Merlin looked like he wouldn't say no. Not when a couple hundred pounds were being offered, anyway. 

He tried to shake the thought out of his mind. If, later on, Arthur wanted Merlin, he'd bring it up with him. He'd bring up the cost, and what they could and couldn't do. But not now, not when it was all in Arthur's head anyway. 

The nightclub was rather empty for a Friday night, but Morgana seemed to love it. She liked the idea the entire place was only for her and her friends. Arthur laughed along with her as she pulled him onto the dancefloor and they all started dancing. Whenever Cenred was around, she'd give Merlin a look, and Merlin would bring Leon into the group and they'd move away to a different location on the dance-floor. Arthur didn't know if Morgana and Merlin were trying to protect Arthur from Cenred or if anything else was going on. After their little act earlier that morning, Cenred hadn't even looked at Arthur anymore. Arthur was almost certain the man had lost all interest him, and he was glad for it. 

As the night went on, Arthur could no longer see Cenred around. Maybe he'd left. Eventually, Arthur didn't seem to care because the drinks poured on--Merlin and Arthur were only getting closer and closer together. 

What was even more strange was the way Morgana had been acting. She was fine at first, but after some time, she had started snapping at everyone. 

Arthur tried not to think about it. He focused on Merlin. He wanted to discuss their next step with him, but the music was too loud, the room was too dark, and Arthur simply could not find the right time. 

Eventually, on his way to the loo, Arthur spotted an ATM. He stared at it long and hard, wondering if he should just go for it. If he and Merlin didn't end up having sex, then he'd only have a wad of cash on his person, and if they did, then he could get the formalities out of the way. 

He decided to go for it. One card after another, Arthur took out the maximum limit for the day and stuffed it all in his pockets. He knew they weren't going to last very long at the club. Morgana was getting drunk and was more holding onto Leon's body than actually dancing with it. He made his way back to the dancefloor and was told his assumptions had been right. Merlin immediately pulled him into him, keeping his hand around Arthur's waist as they made their way out of the club. 

"Let's take a taxi," Merlin suggested. 

"What?" Arthur asked. They'd all come together in a car and the driver was waiting for them. 

"Let these two have some time alone," Merlin said. "We'll take a taxi. Is that okay?" 

"Sure," Arthur said smiling, and Merlin leaned down to kiss him. They were almost the same height, but sometimes, the fact Merlin _was_ slightly taller than him, annoyed Arthur. 

"It was a great party. Thank you." Morgana reached out to hug Arthur. Arthur's eyes widened as he'd not been expecting the hug and it was awkward. As if Morgana sensed the awkwardness, she pulled away. 

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? Do you want us to take you?" Arthur began to ask but Morgana shook her head. 

"I'm just freaking out a bit, you know, but don't worry." 

Arthur smiled at Morgana and cupped her face. "I'm your brother. It's my job to worry." 

Morgana started to cry. "God, Arthur! Please don't be nice to me. I can take anything right now but you being nice to me." 

"Morgana...what's the matter?" 

"I should go!" Morgana abruptly turned around and called for Leon. 

Arthur looked at Morgana, feeling as if she was in terrible distress, and asked her if she was okay. 

"Fine!" she yelled as she got in the car and it sped away.

=-=-=

In the taxi, they were all hands and mouths. Arthur was surprised that the taxi driver let them continue snogging in the back of his car as he drove the ten minutes to the cottage.

Once in their room, Arthur took his trousers off and as they hit the floor with a _thunk_ , he remembered all the cash he had in his pockets. He was going to ask Merlin about it, but Merlin was on him, and there was no going back. 

Merlin kissed with his whole body. He wrapped his legs around Arthur's waist and pulled him close. They rubbed up against each other, shirts half open, still in their boxers. 

"You're so fucking sexy," Merlin said, threading his fingers through Arthur's hair. He grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him in for a deep, long kiss. 

"I want you," was all Arthur managed to muster on his behalf, but it seemed to do the trick. Merlin grinned up at him, and pushed his shorts down, tackling Arthur's immediately afterwards. 

Arthur kept telling himself of how long it'd been since he’d had sex, how long it'd been since he'd felt a man under him, but it had _never_ been like this. Merlin was so sexy, Arthur could barely contain himself. He wanted to do everything with him, but started with scooting down on the bed to take Merlin in his mouth. 

Merlin arched up, tugging on Arthur's hair, and panting incoherently. "Oh, Arthur, fuck..." he moaned, and his hips jerked up as he really started to fuck Arthur's mouth. He wanted it. All signs indicated he wanted this with Arthur. It had to be more than the fact that Arthur was willing to pay for it. Or maybe it was all an act? Maybe Merlin was so good at making his clients feel like it was the real thing Arthur was getting lost in it too. Buying into the false facade...

"Hey..." Merlin said, massaging Arthur's scalp, before pulling him up close and turning him around. 

Before Arthur knew it, his back was pressed against the mattress and Merlin was between his legs. His erection pressed hard against Arthur's and Arthur arched up, trying to get more friction, to feel them rubbing together. 

"Fuck me, Merlin..." Arthur blurted out, wanting to feel more skin, have more kisses, taste Merlin. 

"What?" Merlin asked, in a small gasp. 

Arthur had not known what he'd said exactly, but then he'd realised it, and wanted it. "I want you to fuck me, Merlin. If that's—that's okay with you..." 

"I..." Merlin seemed to be at a loss for words and tried to read Arthur's face. Whatever he saw there seemed to confirm Arthur was being serious. 

"There's condoms and lube in my things—" 

Merlin looked like he was going to ask something but thought better of it. 

"What is it?" Arthur asked. "You're going to say something, what is it?" 

"How did you—" 

"Just tell me, please." 

Merlin nodded and then gave his grin again, the smile Arthur seemed to completely adore. "I was just going to ask if you planned on getting this far with Lucas." 

"Oh, that," Arthur said, almost laughing. "No, I just...I figured if I packed them, then it wouldn't happen." 

"But it's happening now," said Merlin. 

"You're not Lucas." 

"Isn't that the truth?" Merlin said. "Lucas doesn't top." 

"And you do?" Arthur asked. 

Merlin smiled and got up off the bed to look for the condoms and lube. When he returned, he spread Arthur's legs apart and blew a kiss on Arthur's hole. "I'm versatile," he said. "I can do whatever you want, whatever I feel like, and I'll have you any way I can, trust me." 

Arthur felt it strange how in that moment, he did trust Merlin. 

Merlin took his time opening Arthur up. He slid a lube-slicked finger inside him and Arthur almost recoiled until Merlin was there, reminding him to relax. "I've got you," he murmured, his hot breath on Arthur's face. He gently pushed his finger in and out of Arthur until Arthur was ready for a second, and then a third. 

Merlin handed the condom to Arthur who looked at him with confusion. "Put it on me." 

Arthur opened the wrapper and slid it on Merlin's cock. Then he watched as Merlin lubed his cock up and lined it up against his hole. "You're beautiful like this," Merlin said. 

"Just like this?" Arthur teased. 

"No, you're beautiful in every way. I’ve thought so since the second I laid my eyes on you." Merlin smiled and gently pushed in. Arthur hissed, so Merlin started to pull out, but Arthur grabbed the back of his thighs and kept him there. "You like it when it burns." It wasn't a question. 

"I have a feeling I’ll like anything as long as it's with you."

=-=-=

When Arthur woke up in the morning, his mouth was dry, and he felt unusually warm — especially given the fact he was naked. Then, he felt Merlin's arms and legs wrapped around him and everything came back in a rush.

He'd had sex with Merlin last night.

 _Shit_.

It was good, he remembered thinking. And then when he shifted slightly, his arse hurt like hell and he remember really just _how_ good.

Merlin stirred next to him, changing his position and taking his arm off Arthur. Arthur thought of it as the perfect opportunity to slide out of bed and run into the shower.

Once he was in the bathroom, he closed the door behind him and ran the water. By the time he was in the tub, the curtain around him, and the hot water pouring, he heard Merlin call his name.

At first, Arthur pretended he didn't hear it. But when Merlin opened the door and his voice was clear, Arthur decided not to be a complete wanker, and reply to the man.

"Hey. Good morning," he said awkwardly and then made a face. What was wrong with him? It was good that Merlin couldn't see him.

"You in there long?"

"Just got in," Arthur said.

"Mind if I join you?"

Arthur heard the smile in Merlin's voice and really, what was he going to do? Ask him if there was extra for a shag in the morning?

"I..." he started to say, when Merlin said, "Never mind."

"No. It's okay. Really. I mean, I want you to..."

Arthur shook his head at how ridiculously flustered he sounded. _God, Arthur, the man fucked you, and you're pretending like it didn't mean anything. You were never the arsehole._

"First time for everything," he mumbled to himself. He pulled the shower curtain back and finding Merlin standing there - stark naked - grinning.

"Right, well then..." Arthur kept his eyes on Merlin's shoulder, forcing himself to not look anywhere else.

"Hi," Merlin said softly as he stepped into the tub and closed the curtain around them. "Fancy meeting you here."

Arthur relaxed almost immediately. He had no idea what it was about Merlin that made him do that. He noticed whenever he was stressed and if Merlin was there, he'd find a way to help Arthur relax. Sometimes it was through his casual touches, or his smile, or his sexy words, but most of the time, it was just _knowing_ Merlin was there. There for him.

"Hi," Arthur replied and handed Merlin the bar of soap he'd just used to lather himself up.

"Do my back?" Merlin asked and his voice was so innocent Arthur almost groaned at the sexiness of it. Merlin was good at this. Good at what he was doing to Arthur.

As Arthur's hands started to roam over Merlin's back, Merlin leaned into the touch. Arthur tried to ignore how hard he was then. How he could simply close the distance between them, push his cock between Merlin's thighs, and how they could so easily rock together.

"About last night..." Arthur started when he was finished lathering up Merlin's back, and grabbed the small hand-held shower to run hot water on it and wash it. It was the least he could do, to clean Merlin, and satisfy his own desire to touch the man everywhere.

"Yeah...?"

"I don't want to put a damper on the mood, but we never discussed payment for..."

Merlin immediately turned around then, and Arthur _knew_ he'd said the wrong thing. He'd picked the wrong moment to do it.

Merlin faced Arthur and he took a small step back. He looked upset, hurt, and something else Arthur couldn't decipher—was it disappointment?

"Did you—" Merlin stopped abruptly, and ran a hand through his wet hair. Fucking hell, if he wasn't the sexiest thing Arthur had ever come across. His eyes twinkled and small drops of water fell down from his hair to his face and down his shoulders.

Arthur stupidly still carried the handheld shower, while the other shower head from the wall poured down hot water on his back. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry."

"I didn't do it for money," Merlin said, almost spitting out the words. "I thought you wanted me."

"I did. I do. But in your business..."

"I don't have sex with my clients for money," Merlin said. "It's not what I do. It's not what the agency told me—"

"Then why did you? Have sex with me, I mean. I mean...we...I thought you were...your business..."

"Fuck, this is why I don't..." Merlin said, shaking his head, and then pulled the shower curtain back. He stepped out of the tub and walked out of the bathroom.

"Wait, Merlin..." Arthur quickly turned the shower off and ran after him. He grabbed the towels on his way out and found Merlin standing in the middle of the room, naked, wet, and shivering.

"Please, let me explain..." Arthur said as he wrapped a towel around his waist and approached Merlin. Merlin didn't move so Arthur took that as a sign to keep approaching him. He rubbed the second towel over Merlin's body, then wrapped it around him. "You'll catch a cold like this..."

"There's still soap in my hair, and ears," Merlin said, sounding deflated.

"Let me take you back; let me take care of you."

"Get your money's worth?" Merlin spat out.

Arthur stopped himself and closed the distance between them. "I'm sorry if what I said offended you, but Merlin, you have to realise our situation. I paid you to be here, to be my boyfriend, and you work for an Escort Agency. We had sex last night. Is it not logical for me to assume you'd want to be paid for it?"

"Your contract didn't include any sexual relations clause, or is that something you discussed with Lucas over the phone?"

"No," Arthur said shaking his head. "I didn't discuss— It's not like that. God, this is getting so fucked up."

There was a knock at the door and the intruder barged right in. "Oh, you're not ready yet!" Vivienne said as she eyed the both of them looking disappointed. "Honestly, Arthur. It's your sister's wedding. Do you think you could stop having sex with you boyfriend for about a minute?"

"It's 7 o'clock, Viv," Arthur complained, "and we're not leaving until ten."

Merlin shivered in Arthur's arms again, and Arthur gave Vivienne a warning look. She raised her hands in surrender and walked out, closing the door behind her. Arthur let go of Merlin and walked up to the door to lock it.

"Come on, let's finish what we started," Arthur said. He grabbed Merlin by the arm, and returned to the bathroom. He ran the hot water then removed Merlin’s towel, and then his own, and they once again stepped under the spray.

Arthur took care of Merlin as much as he could. He lathered his back again for good measure and used a small bit of shampoo to run his fingers through Merlin's hair. As he massaged it in, Merlin moaned into Arthur's touch and Arthur's cock nearly sprang to life.

"So what happened between us was something that happens between two people that want each other?" Arthur said, rubbing Merlin's shoulders. Merlin ducked his head under the shower-head and Arthur helped him rinse it all out.

"I don't have sex with my clients, Arthur," Merlin said, not making eye contact with him. "I don't like to get paid for it. I like you. I want yo— wanted you. And thought you'd wanted me for the same reasons. Not because I was your pretend boyfriend, and someone convenient—unless I was—"

"No, of course not," Arthur said. "I just had to be sure. Can you blame me?"

Merlin grinned at him so Arthur took a step closer to Merlin and cupped the back of his neck. "Can I kiss you?" Arthur asked.

Merlin closed his eyes and nodded, so Arthur leaned in and pressed their lips together. It was a short, tentative, yet tender kiss and Arthur wanted so much more. But he was afraid to go for it.

They kissed softly under the spray of hot water as Arthur washed Merlin's back. A moment later, his hands grew bolder and they went everywhere, and Merlin only leaned into his touch so Arthur didn't pause. His soapy fingers breached in-between Merlin's arse, and he pushed a finger inside. Merlin hissed lightly but he didn't make any movements, nor did he tell Arthur to stop. So Arthur pushed in, and pulled out, and pushed in again. A minute later, he'd added another finger, and then another. Merlin's palms pressed against the tile as he pushed back onto Arthur's fingers.

"It's been a long time since I did this..." Merlin gasped out when Arthur knew he was so close, his own cock was throbbing and there was nothing more he wanted than to be inside Merlin, but they were in the shower, and there weren’t any condoms around. Did he want to step out of the bath tub again to go fetch a condom? No, he didn't.

Arthur pulled out of Merlin, and placed his hands on Merlin's shoulders. A second later, he had Merlin turned around and they were face to face. Arthur kissed him again, and he stroked Merlin's cock until he knew he wouldn't be able to take it anymore and fell to his knees. He took Merlin inside his mouth, his hands cupping Merlin's balls and sucked.

" _Oh..._ " Merlin groaned, his hands moving into Arthur's hair and he closed his eyes. "Oh, please. Arthur."

Arthur let go of Merlin and his cock pulled out of his mouth with a pop. "Tell me what's..." 

"Huh?" Merlin looked down at him, confused.

"I like it—I'd like it if you talked while I—" Arthur gave a sheepish smile. "I like _talking_." He did, and he'd never really admitted that to anyone. With Cenred, Arthur had wanted him to talk, or he liked talking when it was Cenred sucking him off, but Cenred made him feel stupid for all of that. He had a feeling Merlin wouldn't.

Merlin smiled and Arthur returned his attention to Merlin's prick. He licked the head and Merlin all but shuddered. "Been a while since I've had somebody inside me..." Merlin said, and Arthur pushed his tongue against the slit — really going to town on Merlin's cock. "God, baby. So good..." Merlin said.

"You like to top?" Arthur asked, not taking his eyes off Merlin's cock as he grabbed the base and then wrapped his mouth around it again.

"Mostly, but, just been some time since _sex_. Since I've been with anyone. You're so...fucking good with that..."

Arthur's soapy fingers found their way back to Merlin's hole and he teased Merlin as he continued to suck him off.

Merlin's words were mostly incoherent now, and he was bucking his hips, giving it good.

It didn't take much longer after that for Merlin to come and as he did, Arthur let go of him. Merlin's come sputtered all over Arthur's chest and Arthur looked up at Merlin, his eyes wild. "Fuck, that was sexy," Merlin mumbled.

"Yeah?" Arthur asked. "What will you have me do?"

"Stay there," Merlin said, pushing down on Arthur's shoulders when he'd tried to get up. "Touch yourself. I want to watch you...get off."

So Arthur did. He didn't take his eyes off Merlin as he wrapped his hand around his erection and stroked himself. Merlin's eyes were darting back and forth between Arthur's face and his cock, and then back to Arthur's face again. He looked like he couldn't decide which he wanted to watch more.

When Arthur was close, he tilted his head back and rested it against the wall behind him and closed his eyes. He came biting his lower lip, and wishing he could moan Merlin's name as Merlin had moaned Arthur's when he'd come. He wished he could ask Merlin to be his.

-=-=-

Uther assured them they were going to make it to River City in record time. Most likely because Uther had hired drivers and no one in the family had to fuss over the responsibility.

Arthur and Merlin, along with Morgana, Leon, Gwaine, and Gwen were in one of the SUV limos while Uther shared his car with Vivienne, Cenred, and a few others. Arthur supposed he should have thanked his father for making sure Cenred was not in the same car with him, since Uther all but hated Cenred, and Arthur couldn't even imagine what it was like for him to share his space with Arthur's ex. 

Gwaine eyed Merlin the entire time they were in the car. It didn't help they were all mostly sitting facing each other and Morgana and Leon seemed to be lost in their own world. 

"Why hasn't Lance joined us yet?" Arthur asked Gwen, grabbing Merlin's hand and squeezing it. He wanted to distract Gwaine from whatever he was thinking or going to say to Merlin. This wasn't the place for it.

"He has to work late," she said with a smile. "So he'll be driving up on his own with his partner." 

"Percy?" Gwaine asked, turning his attention from Merlin to Gwen. 

"That got your attention, did it?" Morgana teased. She looked at Arthur and winked, as if she knew something he didn't. Or like they shared a secret, although Arthur was lost as to what it could be. 

"Who is Percy?" Merlin asked.

"I didn't know he was coming to the wedding," Gwaine said, ignoring everyone else, and keeping his eyes on Gwen. 

Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin's shoulders and pulled him close. "Good, this will keep him busy for a while," he whispered in Merlin's ear, and Merlin visibly shivered. He turned to look at Arthur, who caught his lips and they briefly kissed. When Arthur pulled away, he continued talking. "Percy is someone we know from our school days. His family had moved away when we were about fifteen and Gwaine was all but heartbroken over it. He moved back to Camelot a few years ago and started working private security. Gwaine's been dancing around in circles rather than actually calling him up. So now he's going to come to the wedding—" 

"Who invited him?" Merlin asked, his lips ghosting over Arthur's.

"I think Morgana did. She needed a reason for Percy to come to the wedding, and what better way than to be the one who gets Lance there? That's why she insisted all her bridesmaids to travel together. Even though it would have been okay for her and Lance to arrive a few hours after us." 

"She's a sneaky one," Merlin said. 

"You have no idea," Arthur replied. 

Merlin gave Arthur a small smile, as if he was apologising for something, but Arthur had no idea for what. "Yeah, I think I do," he said to Arthur and then settled into him, resting his head on Arthur's shoulder. 

When Arthur looked over to his side, he found both Morgana and Leon watching them. Leon gave him a quick wink and Morgana looked as if she were going to burst into tears at any moment. 

He hoped she didn't.


	3. The Best Man...

Once they were in River City, and all checked into their hotel rooms, Merlin barely left Arthur's side. The entire hotel was booked for the wedding guests, and Uther and Vivienne had even managed to take over the wine cellar - which was open to all the wedding invitees. 

As the family started to pour in from all over, Arthur introduced Merlin as his boyfriend to each and every aunt, uncle, and cousin. He was surprised at what a good sport he was being, and Arthur had to wonder if Merlin was still treating this as a job, whereas, Arthur was starting to believe they were actually together.

When they returned to their room, Arthur collapsed on the bed, and Merlin was right next to him. 

"You know what pisses me off?" Arthur asked, looking at the ceiling of their hotel room. 

Merlin laced his fingers through Arthur's; Arthur could feel his face turning to look at him, but he didn't move. "I've been going off about myself all weekend. You've met my entire family, and yet, I don't know one thing about you." 

"Hmm," Merlin said and turned his body completely to face Arthur. Arthur still didn't move. "I _am_ actually a screenplay writer." 

Arthur's eyes widened and he shifted his eyes to look at Merlin. 

"I absolutely hate champagne, and I didn't want to freak you out by telling you my favourite drink is gin and tonic." 

Arthur turned then, their hands still clasped together, as he stared down at them and then Merlin's eyes. 

"I think I'd miss you even if we had never met," Merlin said. His hand came up to cup Arthur's face. 

"God, Merlin..." Arthur whispered, unsure he could trust his voice in that moment and pulled Merlin towards him. Merlin came on top of him willingly and straddled his hips. He rocked back and forth, the front of his jeans pressing against Arthur's cock. "This probably isn't the right time to discuss this but— when this is all over— do you think—?" 

"Yes," Merlin said before he reached down and kissed Arthur again.

-=-=-

Arthur and Gwaine sat on the bench in the small park behind the River City hotel as they watched the ladies in one corner fussing over Morgana, and Uther in the other corner carefully watching Merlin. Merlin was oblivious to it all and was on the ground, in the grass, with half a dozen kids climbing all over him.

"He's managed to charm everyone here, hasn't he?" Gwaine asked, sounding disappointed. 

"Why are you so upset about it? Did you want to be my date or something?"

"Well, you could have at least asked." 

"I did ask you, you told me to hire someone." 

"And you hired that!"

"Sorry, didn't realise Percy was still available. I could have asked him." 

Gwaine gloomed but Arthur only grinned back. "Don't worry, he and Lance will be here later. You will have other things to get jealous about." 

"What does that mean?" 

"When he gets here, you know he'll get all the attention. All the women fawning over Morgana right now will be swooning over Percy, and I know you. You may be a big time solicitor, and make the toughest of the Police Inspectors cry on the stand, but you won't make a move on him. You didn't when we were fifteen, and you won't now." 

"How do you even know he's gay?" Gwaine asked. "Maybe we can get Merlin to flirt with him first." 

"No." Arthur shut that train of thought down immediately. "Merlin's not going to flirt with anyone." 

"So he's it, then? Mr Perfect?" 

Arthur shrugged. 

"Please. I bet his cock bends to the side. It's got a bit of kink to it." 

Arthur shook his head. 

"Great, he's bloody perfect." Arthur had already told Gwaine about his time with Merlin, and how they had managed to seal the deal, not as escort-client but as two blokes who really wanted each other. Three times.

Even though Gwaine may not have been completely convinced of Merlin's intentions, he seemed to be giving Arthur the benefit of the doubt.

"So are you going to talk to Percy tonight, or what?" Arthur asked, and right then, Merlin came running up to them. 

"Hey. What did I miss?" Merlin asked, he wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead before coming behind the bench and placing his hands on Arthur's shoulders. As if on instinct, Arthur leaned into the touch and Merlin began to rub Arthur's shoulders. 

"Trying to convince Gwaine to talk to Percy—" 

"Oh, don't tell him!"

"He already knows," Arthur said and at the same time Merlin uttered, "I already know." 

"You know, no one is around, you can drop the act," Gwaine said, and for a brief second, Merlin's hands stilled on Arthur's shoulders. 

Arthur was about to retort when Leon came in holding a bottle of champagne and two flutes. Morgana's friends seemed to leave her side and rushed over to Leon. 

"Has anyone seen my future wife? She'll kill me if I don't serve her first," Leon said, making his way towards Morgana's table and pouring her a drink. He grabbed the other flute and returned to Arthur, Merlin, and Gwaine. 

"Have you guys ever had a fight?" Gwaine asked Leon. "A real honest-to-God fight, ever?" 

"Yes, of course," Leon replied. 

"Yeah, right," Gwaine said. 

"Well, apparently, makeup sex is the best kind," Leon said, looking at Arthur and Merlin, and Arthur waited for him to go on. "Not that I'm ever going to find out." 

They all laughed and Arthur looked up at Merlin, who leaned down and kissed him on the lips. 

"Oh, between the three of you—" Gwaine got up, looking disgusted, but Arthur could tell he was only teasing. "I'm going to need a strong drink. Merlin, can I get you a gin and tonic?" he asked, winking. 

"Yeah, sounds great, mate," replied Merlin. 

"Percy will be here in two hours!" Arthur shouted at him, as Gwaine walked away. "And I'll have a drink too, thanks. You know, your best friend." 

Leon came over and took a seat next to Arthur as they all continued laughing at Gwaine. Merlin had moved on from Arthur's shoulders, running his fingers through Arthur's hair, when Arthur inadvertently let out a low groan. 

"You know there are children present," Leon teased. 

"Like you and Morgana ever keep your hands off each other long enough—" 

"Talking about me, are we?" Morgana appeared in front of Arthur, blocking the sun from Arthur's eyes, as she stood in front of him. 

"And the witch appears," Arthur teased. "Were your ears burning?" 

"We were just talking about Percy, actually," Leon said, patting his knee as if inviting Morgana to come and sit in his lap. 

"Arthur, can you move?" she demanded. 

"What for? You seem to have a perfectly good seat that Leon's offering." 

"Well, I'll have you know, since tomorrow is the wedding, and we are not spending the night together, there can be no...funny business from now until the night of the wedding," she said in a haughty tone, as she crossed her arms and glared down at Arthur. 

"What? You're not serious—" 

"Leon..." Morgana whined. 

"Fine, you're right, dear," Leon said. 

Arthur shook his head and as he was about to make fun of Leon for being wrapped around Morgana's little finger, his mobile chimed. "Saved by the bell," he said, and opened his phone to read the text. 

"Well, I suppose you're both in luck," Arthur said, standing up. "Vivienne wants me to go down to the wine cellar and make sure we have enough of the Château Cheval Blanc she wants to serve with lunch. If we don't then we'll need to make a wine run to the distributor that sells to the hotel." 

"Oh good," Morgana said, pushing Arthur out of the way and settling herself next to Leon. 

"Just be careful, Morgana, there are children present." Arthur winked at her and then smiled at Merlin and walked away from them all. It was nice to feel a bit useful, and he was glad for the text he'd received from Vivienne. He considered maybe asking Merlin to tag along with him, to get a bit of snogging done in the private cellar, but when he turned around, Merlin was already back with the kids. 

When Arthur arrived at the cellar, he found Cenred there. He was looking over the bottles as well, carrying two. 

"Going to drink all of that own your own?" Arthur asked in a teasing tone, and was surprised to find himself so relaxed around Cenred. No doubt, it was all Merlin's doing. 

"Thinking about it," Cenred said, laughing nervously. "That and well...And you know, I thought perhaps you...Bollocks. Sorry." He dropped the bottle he was holding when Arthur reached down and caught it just in time. 

"Arthur, I had no idea this would be so difficult. I just feel like I owe you an explanation." 

"Cenred, relax. It’s all right, okay? I promise." He smiled at Cenred who looked thoroughly confused. 

"And I should probably admit...I brought Merlin with me to torture you, slowly, for the entire wedding weekend. But then, I don't know, something happened and now...I hope this doesn't hurt your feelings but I'm just sick of you and me. Of our whole story. So come on, let’s just go upstairs and eat some tiramisu. And have a gin and tonic." 

Arthur smiled at Cenred, unsure of what exactly Cenred wanted to explain but certain that, whatever it was, he wasn't interested. He turned to leave the cellar, deciding to tell Vivienne it really wasn't worth counting the bottles of Château Cheval Blanc the cellar carried. He and Merlin wouldn't mind making the drive anyway. In that moment, all Arthur wanted to do was see Merlin.

"I slept with your sister." 

Arthur had started to walk away, but now he froze up. He took in a few deep breaths, and turned to face Cenred. "I'm sorry?" he asked, his voice shaking. 

"Well, I shagged Morgana, two years ago. That's why I broke it off with you. And then after you left, sod it, we kept at it like rabbits, until we both realised it was absolutely mad and, obviously, morally wrong." He stopped to take a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "And then that was it. But when Leon proposed, I realised... I'm in love with her." 

The bottle Arthur was holding slipped through his hand and hit the floor. He didn't even look down to check if it had broken. 

"Good Lord, Arthur, say something, please." 

Arthur ran out of the cellar, unsure of what to do, or how he was feeling. Cenred had slept with Morgana. Morgana had slept with Cenred while Cenred and Arthur were still together? 

Arthur stepped out in the open and ran right into Gwaine. Gwaine must have read whatever it was on Arthur's face and came rushing to him. When he spotted Cenred, Gwaine said, "Oh God. He's told you, hasn't he?" 

"You knew?" Arthur asked Gwaine in disbelief and they both turned to look where Morgana was walking, hand in hand with Leon. 

"Arthur. Arthur, are you okay?" Morgana asked, but Arthur didn't reply. He started to walk towards Leon. "Oh dear, Arthur. Please don't say anything." 

When Merlin saw Arthur, he looked like he'd been waiting for him. His smile fell immediately and he rushed to Arthur's aid. Arthur felt safe in Merlin's arms. Merlin was holding him as if he already knew what it was that bothered Arthur. But, how could he? 

Arthur turned to look at Merlin. "Arthur, I'm so sorry."

 _What? Why was Merlin sorry?_

"I can't believe you told him," said Morgana, and Merlin released a sigh as if he had any right to be exasperated. 

Arthur pushed Merlin away. The little of his heart that'd been left had just been shattered. He was completely broken. 

"What's going on?" Leon asked.

"Nothing," replied Morgana. 

"It doesn't look like nothing..." was the last thing Arthur heard before he ran away from the group and made his way to...anywhere...anywhere that wasn't the hotel, his family, the fucking city. 

Of course, Merlin was chasing after him. It was just his luck. Just like the rain that'd started pouring down on them. 

"Leave me alone. You knew and you didn't tell me." Arthur ran deeper into the park behind the hotel where there were no people. Everyone had scurried away because of the downpour. 

"Arthur, can you wait one second?" 

"When did she even tell you?" Arthur asked, wondering why Morgana had told _Merlin_ , of all the people. "I can't believe I trusted you." 

"Come on. You've got to stop running," Merlin said, catching up to Arthur, who turned around and stared down at him. 

"How could you not have told me?"

"What did you expect me to say?" 

"You let me make a fool of myself. You lied to me, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised because that's what you do. How much did she pay you to keep it a secret?" 

"Arthur..." Merlin's tone was firm, as if he were warning Arthur, but Arthur didn't care. 

"That's who you are. You're a liar." 

"You're judging me? That's a good one," Merlin said and Arthur scoffed. "You're going to point a finger at me, the bloke you hired to pretend to be your boyfriend?" 

In that moment, whatever love Arthur felt for Merlin had disappeared. How _dare_ he? 

"You're right. I was so desperate to make everyone believe I was happy so I paid a two month's salary for a lie." He shook his head in disbelief, he wanted to stop talking, but couldn't help himself. "And, at the end of the day, the only one who ended up falling for it was me." 

Merlin's eyes widened then and it looked as though he were going to say something but Arthur cut him off. "I wish I could say it was worth it." 

"Go ahead, Arthur, hate me," Merlin said. He took a step closer to Arthur, and Arthur stepped back. "I think you're running out of steam on this whole Cenred thing anyhow." 

"What does—" 

"Maybe now you'll be able to hold on to this long enough to ruin your next relationship!" Merlin grimaced and Arthur didn't know if it was at him or at his own words. He shook his head, turned around, and walked away. 

Arthur wanted to reach out then. He wanted to stop Merlin, but didn't. He let the rain pour over him, and stood there, until Merlin was far gone, and Arthur couldn't stand the cold anymore. He slowly walked back to the hotel room. 

By the time Arthur reached the entrance to the hotel, the rain had stopped. He saw Leon chasing after Merlin, who had his bags in tow. 

"Merlin, where are you going?" 

"Don't worry, Leon. I'm just going to check into the hotel down the street. I called them, they have a room available." 

"Merlin, you can't. There's a room—" 

"It's fine, Leon." 

They faced each other, and Arthur hid in the shadows; he didn't want them to know he was there. 

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you two but I'm sure you'll work it out," Leon said, but Merlin continued to frown.

"You couldn't be more perfect if Arthur had picked you out of a catalogue." 

Merlin smiled at that. It was a sad little smile, and it seemed to tug at Arthur’s heart. Arthur still remained quiet.

"Take the car, at least. So you don’t have to walk to the hotel."

"Thanks, Leon. You’re a good guy. Just don’t forget it." 

And as Merlin drove away, and Leon watched him go, Arthur snuck into the hotel and ran up to his room. 

Arthur had been in his room for all of five minutes, and had just grabbed a towel and started to dry himself off when there was a knock on the door. 

Typical Morgana. She didn't wait to be asked to come in and just opened the door. 

"Hey," she said. 

Arthur took in a deep breath, steeled himself, and turned around. "Hi," he said. 

"Listen, Arthur. I'm just ... I wanted to thank you for not saying anything to Leon about... about what happened today." Arthur nodded but didn't say anything. He had nothing to say. 

"I want to tell him, just not the night before our wedding. You know, with these things, timing is everything."

Arthur put his hands in his pockets and balled them up in fists. He was just about done with Morgan's shit. "You're right, Morgana. Completely! You should time it right, so that when Leon hears you repeatedly screwed his best friend, he won't feel like the world is collapsing and there's no escape because you tricked him into _marrying you_."

"Arthur..." 

"Don't worry, Morgana. Your wedding will be perfect. Tomorrow, I'll keep a smile on my face, I'll say all the right things, and you'll deal with Leon when you're ready. But right now..." Morgana took a step towards him and Arthur gestured for her to stop. "But right now, tonight, I'm not going to pretend it's okay. Now kindly get out of my bloody room, and next time, don't act like you fucking own it. You have no right anymore."

Morgana immediately started to cry, but to his relief she turned around and left the room. Arthur shook his head in disbelief, and then cursed himself for being surprised at all. It was Morgana, she was always going to be the drama queen. 

Arthur took off all his wet clothes and collapsed on the bed. He turned from one side to another, hating himself of how he'd already started to miss Merlin. 

Ten minutes later, there was another knock on the door, and Arthur groaned. "Go away," he yelled. 

"Come on, Arthur, open up." 

Arthur grumbled to himself, but he reached out for a shirt and some trousers and went to answer the door. Gwaine was standing on the other side with a bottle of Jack in hand. "Need some company?" 

Arthur nodded and let him in. 

"Check out, did he?" 

"I suppose. He has the decency to know to keep his distance." 

"Arthur, I'm your best friend, you can't be all cross with me forever." 

"I'm not cross with you," Arthur said, plopping himself on the bed and Gwaine came and sat down next to him. "Give me that." Arthur reached for the bottle as Gwaine brought out two glasses from his jacket pocket. 

"By the way," Gwaine drawled as Arthur poured them both a double shot. 

"Yeah?" 

"I said hello to Percy." Gwaine clinked his glass with Arthur's and took a sip of his drink. 

"Oh, brilliant. Just make sure Morgana hasn't slept with him before you do anything."

-=-=-

"So why did you let him go?" Uther asked as they waited outside the chapel for the wedding party to arrive.

"It's complicated, Father." Arthur's fingers twitched and regardless of how hung over he was, he still wished he had a drink. 

"Well, most things are." Uther patted Arthur on the shoulder, then he reached for his flask, and offered it to his son. Arthur took a swig, and then Uther did too. "Wouldn't have worked out anyway." 

"Why?" Arthur asked, hating how much he cared. 

"The boy seemed a bit obsessed with you, if you ask me." Arthur gave his father a confused look. "I heard him telling Vivienne what he thought of you when he first laid his eyes upon you. A bit of a romantic for my taste—" 

"What did he say?" 

Uther shrugged. "Something about you wore this red button-down shirt, no tie, with a blazer. And you were holding your drink, but not really drinking from it. As if hiding behind that glass gave you a confidence—he seemed intrigued by your actions, the way you carried yourself— Sort of the same stuff he said to me when we first met. But like I said, bit of a sap. Sounded like a girl. No wonder he got on so well with Morgana." 

"At the Wonder Wanderer mixer?" Arthur asked, bemused. How did Merlin know—

"Yeah, that's where you met, wasn't it? I mean, the fact you didn't wear a tie with your suit, and he found it appealing should just tell me everything I need to know. You need a man who knows how to dress sharp—" 

"Father." 

"Well, he has been dressing well the entire time he was here, so—" 

"He was at the mixer. He saw me." 

"I'd reckon so. Why are you so confused, Arthur? What did you smoke this morning?" 

"Father—" 

"But it doesn't really matter what I think, though, does it? No matter how I try to influence you, you've always ended up doing what you've wanted to do. So wear a tie, don't wear a tie, you have to tell me one thing, Arthur?" 

"What's that?" 

"Is he the man for you?" 

Uther's expression was fierce and Arthur was absolutely shocked by his father's words. His heart beat fast because the question was a real one, and so was the expression in has father's eyes. Uther saw right through Arthur, knew he wanted Merlin, and was _all right with it_? 

Arthur nodded. Not sure if he would be able to trust his own voice at the moment. 

Uther smiled at him then. It was unlike anything Arthur had ever seen, or experienced. The warmth in his eyes nearly made Arthur's heart melt. 

"Then go and get him." 

Arthur grinned at his father and got up on his feet. He didn't know what to do first. Wheels. He needed wheels. Wait, they'd all been _driven_ to the city so there wasn't anyone—no there was Lance. He and Percy had come on their own so Lance had a car. 

"Actually, we came in Percy's car," Lance said, when Arthur asked him. 

"Percy?" Arthur asked, feeling defeated already. 

"Here, take my keys." Percy brought out his car keys from his trouser pockets and handed them to Arthur. "It's the dark blue Nissan—" 

"Thanks!" Arthur said, and Percy nodded. "Oh, and talk to Gwaine!" 

Arthur didn't want for a reply as he found Percy's car, started it, and was out of hotel parking lot in record time. He wasn't entirely sure where Merlin was staying, but figured the closest hotel to the River City hotel was probably the best bet. He rushed to the reception desk, heart pounding, almost out of breath and asked for Merlin. 

"Merlin Emrys?" 

"I'm sorry, sir, but it seems Mr Emrys has checked out." 

"Oh. Can you tell me how long—" 

"I'm sorry, I can't. I can't divulge guest information without—" 

"Fine," Arthur said. His heart sank, his heartbeat slowed, and his legs took him back to Percy's car. It was as if all of a sudden he was on autopilot, and he drove back to the River City hotel without really thinking about it. 

When he parked the car in the same spot he'd found it, nothing look like it'd changed. Except...Vivienne came rushing to him, looking completely distraught. 

"What's the matter?" 

"It's Leon. He's left." 

"Left. Why?" Arthur's eyes widened. Had Morgana actually told him the truth? "Where's Cenred?" 

"Yeah, that's the thing. Leon sort of went chasing after Cenred. He looked like he was out for blood—" 

"How's Morgana taking it?" 

"She's in the bridal room. Obviously, a mess. Arthur..." She paused to give herself a moment. "I think she means it this time. She's actually upset." 

Arthur nodded at Vivienne and patted her shoulder. "Here's my mobile. Call Merlin. I'm not sure he'll answer. But if anyone can fix this, he can. If he doesn't pick up, text him." 

Arthur left Vivienne behind and ran towards the bridal dressing room. When he knocked on the door and softly opened it, he found Morgana with her face buried in her hands. "Gana, you all right?" Arthur rolled his eyes at himself; of course she wasn't all right. 

"I did it. I mean, I told the truth—" 

"You didn't have to. If you loved him so much..." Arthur said softly. He came and sat across from her, taking her hand in his. "I know I was angry before, but I didn't want _this_ for you. You two could have been—" 

"You were right. I couldn't lie to him. Not about this. Not for forever." She squeezed his hand and then retrieved hers to grab another tissue. As she dabbed her eyes, she spoke again. "I feel better though. I couldn't live a lie. I can't be the same person as I was before. I shouldn't have done what I did to you and I don't deserve—" 

"Stop that," Arthur said, edging himself closer to Morgana as he took her head and rested it on his chest. 

"I'll ruin your shirt," she said. 

"It's okay. I am your brother, and that's what it's meant for." 

They stayed like that for a while, quiet, as Arthur held her and Morgana gently cried. Arthur couldn't help it and let his thoughts wander over to Merlin. Where would he be headed now? He had Leon's car; was he going to drop it off before taking a taxi to the train station? Or would he simply fly out of River City to London? It was a short flight, barely an hour, but it did beat taking the train from River City to Camelot to London. 

He didn't know how long they waited for, but eventually, Morgana's sobs died down, and she began to put herself together. 

"I should fix my makeup before addressing the guests—" 

"Morgana, you don't have to. We can—" 

"No," she said, standing up. "It's my mess. I'll clean it up." 

"They're back!" Vivienne said, sounding frantic. She came barging into the room, her hair all over the place. 

"Who?" 

"Leon and Merlin!" she exclaimed. "They're standing outside speaking to your father—" 

"I'll go and check. Viv, get her ready, okay?" 

Arthur's heart rate caught up with the excitement of the moment. Was Leon really back? And was the wedding still on? And equally, if not more importantly, had Merlin forgiven Arthur? Sure, he'd not yet had an opportunity to apologise, but Merlin seemed to know what made Arthur tick more than Arthur did—so he'd know—

As Arthur got to the gates of the chapel, he saw Leon running towards him. "She's still going to want to marry me, isn't she?" 

"Of course, mate!" Arthur said as Leon brushed past him. 

He turned to look at Merlin who was running behind Leon, only a few feet away. 

"I have to go!" Merlin said, stopped to look at Arthur. His eyes falling on Arthur's lips before they locked with Arthur's. "I'm the Best Man." 

"What? How did you—how did you manage _that_?" 

Merlin shrugged. "I was on my way to the train station. I was going to call Leon from there to let him know where his car was but...I couldn't make it. I couldn't leave. You." 

"Oh?" Merlin smiled at him, and Arthur grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "Why not?" 

Merlin kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and kept him close. "I couldn't leave this. I realised I'd rather spend my days fighting with you, than spend my nights making love to someone else." 

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but Vivienne's voice cut him off. 

" _Arthur, come on!_ " 

"Later," Merlin said, kissing Arthur's cheek, and running into the chapel.

=-=-=

The decorators had outdone themselves, as the reception hall was sparkling. The pristine three-tier cake sat decorated and untouched in one corner, and the gifts were arranged beautifully in the other. And in the centre of it all were the happy couple.

Morgana had her eyes closed as she slow danced with Leon, resting her head on his shoulder. Arthur caught Leon’s eye and he gently nodded to him once, before spinning Morgana around. 

Merlin raked his fingers through Arthur’s hair as they danced not too far away from the bride and groom, keeping their distance, and their attention from everyone else. It was Morgana’s day, and Arthur was happy to be semi-hiding in the corner with Merlin. He would be willing to be anywhere with Merlin. 

"So what did you say to him?" Arthur asked when Merlin brushed his cheek against Arthur’s. He smelled wonderful. It was more Merlin’s scent than the cologne he was wearing that intoxicated Arthur. 

"Hmm?" 

"Leon. Vivienne told me you’d answered the phone when she called you. That you went to fetch him." 

Merlin smiled, his ears turning red, before he spoke. "I told him he could spend a lifetime having make up sex…" 

It was so unexpected Arthur couldn’t help but throw his head back and give a bark of laugh. Everyone in the room turned to look at them, and then he buried his face in Merlin’s neck as Merlin started to snicker as well. 

"That ought to do it," Arthur said to Merlin. "God, how did you end up being so bloody perfect?" 

"I’m not that perfect," Merlin said. "If I were, Dragonworks Publishing would actually pick up the play I’ve been writing—"

"So it’s true. You were at the event, and you did see me." Merlin nodded his reply. "Why didn’t you tell me that from before? Why did you let me believe you were on the job—"

"I was on the job," Merlin said. "I was an escort there, but I was also working for myself. Arthur, there’s a reason I only escort women…"

A pang of jealously went through Arthur and he pulled Merlin a bit closer, as if, staking a claim on him right then and now was going to solve all his insecurities. 

"Okay, let me rephrase that…there’s a reason, when I was an escort, I only worked with women." 

Arthur eased up a bit then, and smiled. "What’s that?" 

"I got invited to the most interesting parties, and no matter how much the client wanted to sleep with me, I actually wouldn’t. I don’t shag my clients, I’ve told you that. That’s why I was afraid when the agency asked me to do this so last minute—"

"Did you know it was me? I mean when you saw me—"

"No…" Merlin chuckled softly, and he gave that smile again which made Arthur’s heart melt. "I couldn’t believe my luck. I hadn’t been able to get you out of my head and then there you were—and I was supposed to pretend to be your boyfriend and have the freedom to kiss you whenever I wanted. It was awful to have you so close and not be able to be with you."

"Well, that didn’t last very long."

"Is that a bad thing? I mean, do you think I overstepped—"

"No, Merlin. Trust me. Lucas getting sick was probably the best thing that could have happened. To both of us. And I…I’d like to take you out on a date."

Merlin cupped Arthur’s face and leaned close, pressing his lips against Arthur’s, before he started to bite and lick on Arthur’s lower lip. He bit the inside of his cheek as if stopping himself from doing more when he asked, "When do we start?"

"Tonight? Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

Merlin's face grew serious, and took in a deep breath before speaking, "Yes. But I think you should know…"

"Yeah?"

"I don’t have sex on the first date." Merlin bit his lower lip as if he were trying to stop himself from laughing. "Oh, and I'd like to pay. Just so we're on the same page." He winked then, and Arthur shook his head. 

"It's never going to be dull with you, is it?" 

"Nope," Merlin said. 

"So, do you think we could maybe get a pre-date shag since we're not going to have one later?" 

Merlin seemed to think it over. "Hmm. I suppose that can be arranged, Mr Pendragon." 

Arthur grinned. "Oh, and I think there's something you should know about me though." 

"What's that?" 

"I'm known to do favours for sex. So if you want your play published...You best bring your A-game." 

"Arthur, I couldn't..." 

"All I'm saying is that I'll get a meeting arranged with an editor. Whatever happens after that is out of my hands." 

"Are you sure? I mean, I was only kidding—" 

"Hey..." Arthur placed a finger on Merlin's lips. "It's what boyfriends are for. Right?"

"Real boyfriends," Merlin said with a shrug. "I suppose I have to do _something_ as I'm getting out of the business." 

Arthur kissed him again then. Their bodies pressed together, and Arthur knew that he should probably stay. Wait for the bride and groom to cut the cake, but he didn't care. Now that Morgana and Leon's life was settled, he couldn't wait to start his with Merlin. 

"Well, let's get the favours started then..." Merlin grabbed Arthur's hand and led him out of the room. As they made down the long corridor and out to the parking lot to walk back to River City hotel, they found two men tucked in the corner, snogging like a couple of teenagers. 

"Is that…?" Merlin started to ask, when the two men turned around. Faces red, lips swollen.

Percy and Gwaine. Yep. They were. 

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that stuck around and read this story and left lovely comments. You guys are the best. It was a fun story to write, and I'm slightly sad to see it end! Also it's one of my fav. movies so that was a fun fusion to do. Enjoy.


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